18cm f/6.8 Hugo Meyer Gorlitz Doppel Anastigmat; Coverage and characteristics please

[Dustyman]

A friend just gave me this tiny lens in a Compur shutter (f/6.8 -> f/44, speeds to 1/200th)

What might I expect with regards to coverage and character? I do mostly portraiture.

thank you.

[Mark Sampson]

That's a 'normal' focal length for 4x5, might cover 5x7 but if so, a bit wide for portraits. If it's uncoated, as I suspect, then lower contrast than a modern lens.
Give it a try at f/8 and f/22, and show us your results!

[Steven Tribe]

Can't find this in the german catalogues I have, but:

- it is definitely for 13x18cm size.
- it is tempting to say it is a Dagor copy (F6.8), but as the later Hugo Meyer model, the Aristostigmat, was also F.6.8 - and that was a dialyt (assymetric 4 lenses air spaced) - so, perhaps yours has a similar design.

Are you sure it is F6.8 and not F7.7 (do not trust the shutter markings!).
Lens VM writes about this lens as the first Meyer anastigmatic and says it is a Dragor copy rather than the Gauss Aristostigmat which came later. But lens VM does have errors, especialy as regards German and French makers!

[Dustyman]

Thx Steven. The markings do say 6.8 Anastigmat, but like you say, they could be wrong.
Would the serial number tell me if it is a Dagor copy or a dialyt?

The serial number is 514510 From what i can tell it make it about 1930 (??)



Can't find this in the german catalogues I have, but:

- it is definitely for 13x18cm size.
- it is tempting to say it is a Dagor copy (F6.8), but as the later Hugo Meyer model, the Aristostigmat, was also F.6.8 - and that was a dialyt (assymetric 4 lenses air spaced) - so, perhaps yours has a similar design.

Are you sure it is F6.8 and not F7.7 (do not trust the shutter markings!).
Lens VM writes about this lens as the first Meyer anastigmatic and says it is a Dragor copy rather than the Gauss Aristostigmat which came later. But lens VM does have errors, especialy as regards German and French makers!

[Steven Tribe]

Lens VM was talking about the early model from around the start of the century, but they say it was made long after WWI.

So they may have adjusted to match the F6.8 of the second Goerz dragor design at some stage. In many people's opinion, the advances of lens design since the Dragor and Protar do not make these two inferior as "omnibus" lenses.

[Dan Fromm]

Look, if you want to know whether your lens is a dagor type or a dialyte type count reflections.

Dagors have two strong (from air-glass interfaces) and two weak (from glass-cement-glass interfaces) in each cell. The weak reflections can be hard to see.

Dialytes have four strong reflections, no weak in each cell.

Looking at a single cell unscrewed from the shutter makes counting reflections much easier.

[Dustyman]

On the Meyer, I see two large strong, two small (strongish), and two very tiny (weak).

I checked, and this is is the same that I see on my 16-1/2" f/7.7 Dagor.




Look, if you want to know whether your lens is a dagor type or a dialyte type count reflections.

Dagors have two strong (from air-glass interfaces) and two weak (from glass-cement-glass interfaces) in each cell. The weak reflections can be hard to see.

Dialytes have four strong reflections, no weak in each cell.

Looking at a single cell unscrewed from the shutter makes counting reflections much easier.

[Dan Fromm]

Two plus two plus two makes six. Wrong for a Dagor. Look again, and at just one cell.

[Dustyman]

Unscrewed the front cell to look at both cells individually. Two strong and 2 weak in each. The weakest of each is nearly visible, yet discernible.

[Dustyman]

Definitely a Dagor clone. A cursury view though my camera in studio shows that this lens covers 8x10. It is also *very* sharp, at least centrally. I'll know better after I put some film through this. If as I suspect all goes well, this tiny almost weightless lens/shutter combo will turn out to be a delightful gem. I might even be able to close my folding Toyo 810M with this lens in place. But if I can't, it will fit in my shirt pocket. Amazing.